Not sure If I posted this or parts of it before senior moment.
The small Salmon that we all complaning about which are part of the problem should be thing of the past.
As most of you know Salmon are stocked by the pound, ideal is 8 or 9 to a pound, the past two years they have been more like 20+ to a pound, bite size.
The problem had something to do with water temperture at the hatchery. The Salmon grow better with slightly warmer water, however some state agency had a problem with water temperature at the hatchery discharge being too warm. Not sure which agency it is, but they are in the same building as Fish and Game I'm told. At any rate F and G found a way to have the water temperature more ideal for raising Salmon and have it at the proper discharge temp. I think they are using a pool or pools furthest away from the discharge.
So we should ave more normal stock size this year and future years if all goes well.
Actualy I have asked the question to F & G before why they don't raise the Salmon bigger before stocking, they said that it is cost prohibitive and that the Salmon actualy do better in the lakes eating a more natural protien and grow faster than they would at the hatchery.
The reason I seem to be more informed than some of you is I e mail Fish and Game on a regular basis and "ASK QUESTIONS". Everything they do is a matter public record and they welcome and will answer any questions any of you have.
Lots of good ideas in this thread, F and G are reading them and I'm sure a few changes are being planned, what exactly is anyones guess.
The open meetings are only held every odd year,. so if we don't like what we have this coming year and next, go to the next meeting in 2011 and be heard.
Maybe they will have a special open meeting to address this problem now that we showed most of us do care.
John I believe they may be getting colder water now because I thought they were suppose to extend the intake pipe out deeper into Merrymeeting Lake.
Cal
John I believe they may be getting colder water now because I thought they were suppose to extend the intake pipe out deeper into Merrymeeting Lake.
Cal
Well, that's not good news, warmer water is the key as I'm told ?
